Narrative Threads

Toronto, ON – March 19, 2012:Award-winning Canadian design firm, Creative Matters Inc., will exhibit hand-knotted rugs from its celebrated Art Day and Aerial collections at Forza Tappeti: The Rug Revolution on April 17 to 20 during Milan Design Week. The firm of 12 female artists received an exclusive invitation from the event’s curator, COVER magazine, to show its work at the inaugural event, which will be held at Galleria Giacomo Manoukian Noseda in Milan’s Brera Design District, an area brimming with avant-garde galleries and fresh new designers.

“We are honoured to be among such renowned designers as Jan Kath of Germany and Christopher Farr of England in exposing the designs of our talented team of artists and weavers to such a broad and sophisticated audience,” said Creative Matters co-founder Donna Hastings.

According to COVER, published by Hali publications, Forza Tappeti will “feature the works of acknowledged leaders in ‘design carpets’ who represent the leading edge in a field that is revolutionizing not only the way rugs are made and designed within traditional weaving cultures but also the way that carpets are understood by the public and used by designers within interiors.”

Creative Matters is the only Canadian design firm that will participate in the curated show. Art Day #123, one of the Creative Matters rugs selected for installation, is a magical wool and silk, hand-knotted creation. Its randomized brush strokes, realized in grey and black with a hint of aqua on a taupe backdrop, have been described as “gracefully geometric.”

“Art Day #123 is the collective effort of our talented team of artists and the product of one of our monthly Art Day events. All of our staff participate in these events, which we initiated about a year ago as a way to inspire and celebrate unbounded creativity,” said co-founder Carol Sebert, adding “Art Days are also just a lot of fun.” To date, Creative Matters Art Day events have yielded more than 500 unique designs, many of which have been turned into commercially available rugs.

Forza Tappeti will be held in conjunction with the Milan Furniture Fair, the largest event of its kind worldwide, which is expected to attract more than 300,000 people from around the world. The show will be open to the general public on Saturday, April 21 and Sunday, April 22.

Established in 1988, Creative Matters Inc. designs and manufactures original, free-trade luxury rugs and floor coverings. With carpets in more than 40 countries, Creative Matters’ international clientele range from such high-end retailers as Gucci, Tom Ford and Louis Vuitton to hotels, corporate offices and residences, including St. Regis Hotel (Mexico City), JWA Marriott Hotel (Kazakhstan), Covidian Offices (Bermuda), and Canadian diplomatic residences and embassies in more than 35 locations. Creative Matters is proud to participate in and support Label Step, an international organization committed to promoting environmentally friendly production methods, improving the working and living conditions of carpet weavers and fighting abusive child labour. www.creativemattersinc.com; www.label-step.org